Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support the motion. We have seen a deterioration in roads right around the country in recent years. In the early 2000s and prior to that, roads were resurfaced once in every ten years. Now that less money is around for that purpose, the likelihood of a road being resurfaced has become once in every 20 years. That is the reason we have seen such a deterioration in the condition of the roads. It is easy to give out about the Government but the reality is that when another Government blew up the country, we did not have the money we needed to spend on roads.

There is no doubt that for a country to come out of the situation in which we were and to move forward, no more than someone in business one has to spend a pound to make a pound. One might have to borrow money to ensure we bring things up to a certain standard. New systems are currently being used for road maintenance, such as rotavating them and putting a new type of macadam on them and such new roads are good for 20 years. What we used in the past was not suitable. However, the new method costs more. It is necessary for Ireland to borrow money in order to get out of the recession we were in.

Funding is required for the N4 and the N5 road from Mullingar to Castlebar must be finished. The road from Donegal to Tuam must be completed, as must the Mallow to Cork road. If we do not put in place the proper infrastructure and ensure people can get to a motorway within 20 to 25 minutes of leaving their house then one will not open up sufficient opportunity to them. The sad reality is that Galway County Council had a budget of €32 million for roads and it is down to €19.5 million. Roscommon County Council has €11.5 million for roads but it once had €19 million. It will cost money but in the long run it will save us money and it would help more people to find work and make the roads safer. A report showed that in certain counties, 14% of the roads are dangerous. I concur with what the Minister of State said earlier about council staff around the country and the amount of work they do. That must be acknowledged. I encourage the Government to examine all infrastructural requirements, be they hospitals, schools or roads and if necessary it must borrow money and ensure people in all parts of the country have an equal opportunity.

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